Card printing mechanism with card return path

Abstract

Card processing mechanisms and methods whereby after a card has been processed on one surface thereof at a card processing station such as, but not limited to, a card printing mechanism, the card can be recirculated back upstream of the card processing station along a return card travel path that is separate from the primary card travel path through the card processing station where the card can then be reintroduced back into the primary card travel path and transported through the card processing station a second time. As the card is being returned along the return card travel path, the card can be flipped over so that when the card is transported back through the card processing station, the opposite surface of the card can be processed.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A card personalization system, comprising:
 a card feed mechanism, a smart card programming mechanism that is configured to simultaneously program integrated circuit chips on multiple cards, a card printing mechanism, and a card output, all disposed along a card processing path;   the smart card programming mechanism is disposed between the card feed mechanism and the card printing mechanism;   the card printing mechanism is disposed between the smart card programming mechanism and the card output;   the card feed mechanism includes at least one card hopper containing a plurality of cards to be fed one-by-one onto the card processing path, each card having a first surface, a second surface, and an integrated circuit chip;   the card printing mechanism comprises a drop-on-demand print station that includes at least one print head that is configured to perform drop-on-demand printing with a UV curable ink; the card printing mechanism includes a primary card travel path that is collinear with the card processing path, and the card printing mechanism is configured so that the primary card travel path has a first card and a second card thereon in sequence with one another, wherein the first card is oriented with the first surface thereof facing upward and the second surface thereof facing downward, and the second card is oriented with the second surface thereof facing upward and the first surface thereof facing downward;   the card output is configured to collect processed cards.   
     
     
         19 . The card personalization system of  claim 18 , further comprising a surface treatment station upstream of the drop-on-demand print station, the surface treatment station is configured to treat the first surface or the second surface of each card. 
     
     
         20 . The card personalization system of  claim 18 , further comprising a UV curing station downstream of the drop-on-demand print station. 
     
     
         21 . The card personalization system of  claim 18 , wherein the card printing mechanism consists of a single one of the drop-on-demand print stations. 
     
     
         22 . The card personalization system of  claim 18 , wherein the card printing mechanism is configured to print on both the first surface and the second surface of the first card and the second card; wherein the card printing mechanism is configured so that the first card travels in a first direction during printing on the first surface thereof, the first card travels in a second direction opposite the first direction after printing on the first surface thereof and prior to printing on the second surface thereof, and the first card travels in the first direction during printing on the second surface thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The card personalization system of  claim 18 , wherein the card printing mechanism comprises a flipper for flipping a card. 
     
     
         24 . The card personalization system of  claim 18 , further comprising an additional card processing mechanism that is configured to perform a processing operation on the cards that differs from the programming of the integrated circuit chips performed by the smart card programming mechanism. 
     
     
         25 . The card personalization system of  claim 24 , wherein the additional card processing mechanism is disposed between the card feed mechanism and the card printing mechanism. 
     
     
         26 . The card personalization system of  claim 25 , wherein each card further includes a magnetic stripe, and the additional card processing mechanism comprises a magnetic stripe programming mechanism. 
     
     
         27 . The card personalization system of  claim 24 , wherein the additional card processing mechanism is disposed between the card printing mechanism and the card output. 
     
     
         28 . The card personalization system of  claim 18 , further comprising a third card in sequence with the first card and the second card on the primary card travel path, wherein the second card is located between the first card and the third card, wherein the third card is oriented with the first surface thereof facing upward and the second surface thereof facing downward. 
     
     
         29 . A card personalization system, comprising:
 a card feed mechanism that includes at least one card hopper containing a plurality of cards to be fed one-by-one onto a card processing path, each card having a first surface, a second surface, and an integrated circuit chip;   a smart card programming mechanism on the card processing path downstream from the card feed mechanism that is configured to simultaneously program multiple cards;   a single drop-on-demand print station on the card processing path downstream of the smart card programming mechanism, the drop-on-demand print station includes a print head that is configured to perform drop-on-demand printing with a UV curable ink; the single drop-on-demand print station is configured so that the single drop-on-demand print station has a first card and a second card therein in sequence with one another, wherein the first card is oriented with the first surface thereof facing upward and the second surface thereof facing downward, and the second card is oriented with the second surface thereof facing upward and the first surface thereof facing downward;   a card output on the card processing path downstream of the single drop-on-demand print station that is configured to collect processed cards.   
     
     
         30 . The card personalization system of  claim 29 , further comprising a surface treatment station upstream of the single drop-on-demand print station, the surface treatment station is configured to treat the first surface or the second surface of each card. 
     
     
         31 . The card personalization system of  claim 29 , further comprising a UV curing station downstream of the single drop-on-demand print station. 
     
     
         32 . The card personalization system of  claim 29 , wherein the single drop-on-demand print station is configured to print on both the first surface and the second surface of the first card and the second card; wherein the first card travels in a first direction during printing on the first surface thereof, the first card travels in a second direction opposite the first direction after printing on the first surface thereof and prior to printing on the second surface thereof, and the first card travels in the first direction during printing on the second surface thereof. 
     
     
         33 . The card personalization system of  claim 29 , further comprising an additional card processing mechanism that is configured to perform a processing operation on the cards that differs from the programming of the integrated circuit chips performed by the smart card programming mechanism. 
     
     
         34 . The card personalization system of  claim 33 , wherein each card further includes a magnetic stripe, and the additional card processing mechanism comprises a magnetic stripe programming mechanism. 
     
     
         35 . A card personalization system that personalizes cards having a first surface and a second surface, comprising:
 a card printing mechanism that includes a single drop-on-demand print station that includes at least one print head that is configured to perform drop-on-demand printing with a UV curable ink; the single drop-on-demand print station is configured so that the single drop-on-demand print station has a first card and a second card therein in sequence with one another, wherein the first card is oriented with the first surface thereof facing upward and the second surface thereof facing downward, and the second card is oriented with the second surface thereof facing upward and the first surface thereof facing downward.   
     
     
         36 . The card personalization system of  claim 35 , wherein the card printing mechanism further comprises a surface treatment station upstream of the single drop-on-demand print station, the surface treatment station is configured to treat the first surface or the second surface of each card. 
     
     
         37 . The card personalization system of  claim 35 , wherein the card printing mechanism further comprises a UV curing station downstream of the single drop-on-demand print station. 
     
     
         38 . The card personalization system of  claim 35 , wherein the single drop-on-demand print station is configured to print on both the first surface and the second surface of the first card and the second card; wherein the first card travels in a first direction during printing on the first surface thereof, the first card travels in a second direction opposite the first direction after printing on the first surface thereof and prior to printing on the second surface thereof, and the first card travels in the first direction during printing on the second surface thereof. 
     
     
         39 . The card personalization system of  claim 35 , wherein each card further includes an integrated circuit chip, and further comprising a smart card programming mechanism that is configured to simultaneously program the integrated circuit chips on multiple cards, the smart card programming mechanism is located upstream of the card printing mechanism. 
     
     
         40 . The card personalization system of  claim 35 , wherein each card further includes a magnetic stripe, and further comprising a magnetic stripe programming mechanism. 
     
     
         41 . A method of personalizing cards in a card personalization system, the cards having a first surface and a second surface, the method comprising:
 inputting a first card followed by a second card into a drop-on-demand print station that includes at least one print head that is configured to perform drop-on-demand printing with a UV curable ink, wherein the first card and the second card are in sequence with one another, the first card is oriented with the first surface thereof facing upward and the second surface thereof facing downward, and the second card is oriented with the second surface thereof facing upward and the first surface thereof facing downward.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein:
 as the first card travels in a first direction in the drop-on-demand print station, printing on the first surface thereof;   after printing on the first surface of the first card and prior to printing on the second surface thereof, transporting the first card in a second direction opposite the first direction; and   after transporting the first card in the second direction, printing on the second surface of the first card as the first card travels in the first direction.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising treating the first surface or the second surface of the first card in a surface treatment station prior to printing on the first surface or the second surface thereof. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising applying UV light to the first surface or to the second surface in a UV curing station after printing on the first surface or the second surface thereof.